The "Who" Over the "What"
In Healthcare Fundraising, Involving Leadership is Key

By Mary Ellen Clark, RN, MN
Vice President
Midwest Region

"We need to increase our hospital fundraising efforts..."

How many times have you thought this, or heard this from a board member? Yet, when it comes to planning for how you will achieve this, many hospital and healthcare fundraisers fall prey to focusing on the "what" of their fundraising rather than the "who." They risk remaining in the tactical rather than thinking strategically about who can help unlock a donor relationship that is lasting and will build over time.

Many hospital and healthcare fundraising programs grew out of multiple successful special events each tied to a different program. In healthcare, it is easy to make a case for organizing a gala, golf tournament or dinner benefit around cancer, cardiovascular, newborns, and so on. While these events are important friendraisers and fundraisers, they risk creating a culture of dependence where donors "wait" to support the cause only around the event. Moreover, cause-related fundraising events efforts then provide resources for a diverse array of services that may not necessarily support the critical needs of the hospital.

Creating a culture of giving that begins at the top is essential - and it may not be as daunting as we as fundraising managers may think. While the CEO, hospital leadership teams, and service line managers may find a comfort level in volunteering for an event, you begin to reap real results when you help them extend their involvement with a specific role in the philanthropic process.

A carefully planned visit with a donor, made at the right time in the philanthropic process and which includes the CEO or the medical director of a service line, highlights the importance of the donor's gift to the organization. Involving top hospital leadership in tours and personal visits to provide detailed explanations of the need and the impact of the gift is the most effective way of connecting with the donor, helping them understand the importance of their investment, and over time deepening their relationship with your institution.

Research by the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) tells us that just over half of healthcare CEOs participate in development efforts and only 35 percent of CEOs have philanthropic goals incorporated in their performance criteria. While these numbers are increasing, there are many CEOs who are still largely absent from the fundraising and development process.

Support from each of your leadership constituencies - your hospital and foundation boards, top administration, and medical staff leaders - is essential to shift the "what" to the "who" of fundraising. Keep each of these groups informed about new programs and equipment, needs, and success stories. Empower them as ambassadors in the community.

The role of philanthropy in healthcare is growing at an unprecedented rate. When hospitals first started raising money in the 1960s, the foundation was not considered in the planning and budgetary process. Now we see a critical dependence building on the philanthropic arm of the hospital. This emphasis on philanthropy in healthcare creates an opportunity for the leaders of these organizations to impact fundraising in ways not previously explored. By marrying the philanthropic goals with the hospital's business goals, and by engaging leadership in support of furthering those goals, you create a powerful synergy.

Successful organizations, those who are planning effectively for the future of healthcare and healthcare fundraising, are those where the leadership at all levels play an active role in fundraising.